The Warwick Vets Hurricanes snuck by the Narragansett Mariners 36-32 to earn their first win of the season Friday night for homecoming.

The Mariners received the opening kickoff and started with the ball at their own 40-yard line. On first down, quarterback Kyle Pereira rushed 24 yards to the Warwick 36-yard line. Immediately, Vets called a timeout to make some adjustments. On the next play, Pereira threw an interception to Warwick cornerback Daniel Pratt at the Vets 16-yard line.

On first down, Warwick quarterback Nicholas Beaufort ran the ball for five yards. Owen Amirault, the fullback would take the ball next for a 6-yard gain and a Hurricane first down at the Warwick 29-yard line. A couple plays later, Beaufort couldn’t find anyone down field, so he put his head down and charged five yards. On third-and-5, Beaufort completed a pass to wide receiver Jacob Isaac for an 8-yard gain and another Hurricane first down at Narragansett’s 43-yard line.

Next, Beaufort faked a handoff to his running back before rushing left for another first down, before going out of bounds at the Narragansett 34-yard line. Amirault ran next for a gain of five yards. A couple plays later, Beaufort took it in for a touchdown on a keeper. Vets would also convert on the two-point conversion when Beaufort found James Baldwin in the end zone. Vets led 8-0 with 4:03 left in the first quarter.

It wouldn’t take long before the Mariners got revenge.

Wide receiver Connor McKnight rushed two yards before Narragansett took a timeout. Sure enough, on the next play, Pereira found junior wide receiver Joseph Levesque who sprinted down the sideline 51 yards for the touchdown. The Mariners’ two-point attempt failed and the score was 8-6 with 2:59 left in the first quarter.

Vets would take possession at its own 31-yard line. Then, Beaufort faked a handoff and ran five yards. An offside penalty on the Mariners would move the ball to the Warwick 40-yard line. Amirault rushed two yards for the first down and Beaufort added two more on the next down. However, back-to-back penalties on Vets moved the ball back to the Narragansett 39-yard line. Isaac dropped a pass on third down and Vets was forced to punt.

Narragansett would go three-and-out and kick a punt of its own.

Pratt received it and returned it all the way to the Narragansett 26-yard line. Amirault ran left for a 1-yard gain before the offense came up empty on second down. On third-and-9, Beaufort fired to Isaac for a 25-yard pass and a Hurricane touchdown with 7:08 left in the half. Warwick’s two-point attempt would fail but the ’Canes increased their lead to 14-6.

The ’Canes’ ensuing kickoff was fumbled by the Mariners and Warwick recovered it at the Narragansett 35-yard line. Beaufort found Pratt for a first down at the 10-yard line. Then, Beaufort faked the handoff before running in for the touchdown. Its two-point attempt would fail, but Warwick would lead 20-6 with 6:33 left in the half.

On Narragansett’s next possession, it would be forced into a third-and-20, but the Mariners’ offense completed an 18-yard pass to make fourth down manageable. On fourth-and 2, Narragansett chose to go for it, but Vets’ defense stopped the Mariners in their tracks.

Vets took over on downs at the Mariners’ 40-yard line. On first down, Beaufort threw complete to Pratt who took it in for the score. Amirault added two points and Vets led 28-6 at halftime.

Narragansett would strike first in the second half when Pereira found Levesque in the left side of the end zone for the touchdown. After Pereira connected with McKanna on the ensuing two-point attempt, the Mariners would pull within 28-14.

Next, Narragansett got a break when it kicked off to Warwick as it recovered after a Warwick player accidentally touched the ball. Narragansett took over with great field position at the Warwick 18-yard line. On first down, Pereira threw it to a wide open McKanna in the end zone, but he dropped it. On second-and-10, Pereira connected with Levesque, who took the ball to the 4-yard line. After a holding penalty on Narragansett moved the ball back to the Warwick 15-yard line, Pereira connected with a wide open McKnight for a touchdown. Narragansett trailed 28-20 after a failed two-point conversion attempt.

On the first play of the fourth quarter, Beaufort faked the handoff to Amirault before taking the ball himself down the sideline for a 51-yard touchdown run. The two-point conversion was a success when Beaufort found a leaping Pratt in the end zone, who caught it over a defender. Warwick led 36-20.

Narragansett started at its own 32-yard line on the ensuing possession. A holding penalty on Narragansett pushed the ball back to the 17-yard line. On first-and-long, Pereira bombed it to an open McKnight who dropped it. After failing to convert on third down, the Mariners were forced to punt. Pereira kicked a poor punt which rolled back to the Narragansett 36-yard line.

Amirault began by dashing eight yards. On second-and-2, he took it again, this time for 10 yards and a first down. With the ball at the Narragansett 21-yard line, Beaufort faked to the back, but the Narragansett defense snuffed it out and took the quarterback down immediately. A false start on Warwick would set it up with a third-and-15. Beaufort connected with Isaac for a 14-yard gain, but that would bring Vets up a yard shy. On fourth-and-1, the Narragansett defense stuffed Amirault’s rush attempt.

Narragansett took over at its own 11-yard line with 6:44 left in the game.

Pereira connected with Levesque up the middle for a 24-yard gain. Next, Pereira scrambled left, away from defenders, before finding a wide open McKanna, who took it all the way to the Warwick 4-yard line before getting tackled. On the next play, Pereira threw complete to McKanna for a touchdown. After a missed two-point attempt, Narragansett trailed 36-26 with 5:25 left in the game.

Narragansett attempted an onside kick, but it was recovered at the Vets’ 49-yard line by Pratt.

On first down, Beaufort scrambled left for six yards. On second down, Beaufort rushed for a first down to the Narragansett 39-yard line. On the next set of downs, Beaufort found Baldwin for a first down at the Narragansett 28-yard line. Following a Hurricane timeout, Beaufort ran left before coughing up the ball at the Narragansett 13-yard line. Narragansett took over with 2:05 left in the game.

On second down, Pereira threw complete to McKnight. On third down, Pereira aired it out to McKanna, who made a leaping catch despite having two Warwick defenders all over him. This gave Narragansett the ball at the Vets 47-yard line with 1:42 left.

Pereira completed a 12-yard pass to Levesque to bring the ball to the Vets 35-yard line. Pereira spiked the ball on the next play to stop the clock. Then on third-and-long, Pereira threw a pass intended for Levesque near the end zone, but Warwick defenders interfered with the receiver, drawing flags. This gave Narragansett the ball at the Vets 23-yard line. However, a holding penalty on Narragansett would push the ball back to the Warwick 38-yard line.

After almost throwing an interception the previous play, Pereira bombed it to McKnight for a first down at the Vets 5-yard line. With 14.7 seconds left to play, Pereira tossed to McKnight again, this time in the end zone to pull Narragansett within 36-32.

Narragansett attempted an onside kick, but Warwick’s Baldwin jumped on it to secure the first win of the season for Warwick.

Beaufort was ecstatic.

“It was probably the greatest feeling in the world,” Beaufort said. “No better feeling.”

The quarterback said he never lost his composure.

“I didn’t get nervous because I had the faith in all my guys,” Beaufort said. “We were making mistakes that we shouldn’t make and we stopped making those mistakes and that’s why we came out with the win.”

Warwick head coach Rob Pacifico was humble and happy for his players.

“It’s not about me, it’s about the kids,” Pacifico said. “The kids needed it. This is good for them. They’ve been working hard but you have to learn to win. There are times when things get tough and their heads start to hang and we finally got over that tonight. It’s a testament to how hard our kids are working. These kids have earned this.”